The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Gosh, it has a Garrard motor. Garrard are silversmiths to the Queen ??

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1090549342461037

Well yes it’s legit to 1992 when it was made according to the video. Not a genuine vintage item though. Beautifully made with silver gilt hardware but I’m not sure for whom.

jamiegramo wrote: Thu Jul 31, 2025 4:23 pm Beautifully made with silver gilt hardware but I’m not sure for whom.

My guess is that this is a stage prop. I am aware of two producers of new machines that emulate old horn gramophones and cannot be reduced to the frankenphone category: the Spanish Banus Banus, that assembled new machines with old parts but created his own new original designs for horns and cases, and a French clockmaker that at one point in the sixties or seventies made several models of external horn gramophones, with their own design and new parts, including motor and soundbox. This machine does not fit in the pattern, apparently being a one-off model, so my guess of a stage prop. Tim Weeks, the self-proclaimed Gramophone Guru, commented in the facebook thread that he was the supplier of the motor. He may have more insight on the motivation for making such machine. Another guess is someone who wanted to have his/her own unique gramophone and ordered it to a craftsperson.

Such an item produced by one of the leading jewellers, at the time the Crown Jeweller, and with so much solid silver must have cost several if not many tens of thousands of pounds to produce even in 1992. If it really has 450 ounces of sterling silver, as stated, that would now scrap in excess of £11000.

jamiegramo wrote: Fri Aug 01, 2025 7:37 am Such an item produced by one of the leading jewellers, at the time the Crown Jeweller, and with so much solid silver must have cost several if not many tens of thousands of pounds to produce even in 1992. If it really has 450 ounces of sterling silver, as stated, that would now scrap in excess of £11000.

That certainly is too much for a stage prop! or maybe the auctioneer overstated the amount of precious metals in the machine ...

I think they have conflated the fact that it has a Garrard motor with the idea that this was manufactured in its entirity by the Garrard jewellery company.

I see that on a facebook chat, Tim Weeks mentioned that he had the turntable gold plated.

I would classify it as fantasy bling

this might be legit:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... c646a45294

Definitely a legit French Concert Automatique. It won’t sound very good on regular 78s as the reproducer is set for vertical cut records.

Sidewinder wrote: Fri Aug 01, 2025 11:35 am I think they have conflated the fact that it has a Garrard motor with the idea that this was manufactured in its entirity by the Garrard jewellery company.

I see that on a facebook chat, Tim Weeks mentioned that he had the turntable gold plated.

I would classify it as fantasy bling

These are my thoughts as well.

Wow - speachless